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Is there a really clear list of low histamine foods that do not require preparation?

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I apologize if there is already a thread on this and I have received so much information this week that my brain is literally exploding! I am trying to find a reputable list of low histamine foods as at the moment, I am at a complete loss as to what I can eat.

I am not able to cook or lift anything and am very blessed that my husband assists me with this. However, I am now to follow a low histamine diet (and taking four meds/supplements to help this process) since my two extreme allergic reactions to food dyes. I truly believe this issue is playing a bigger role in my illness than I had realized both based on my test results and symptoms.

I am afraid to eat anything when I am home alone for fear of allergic reaction. Things I used to eat that required no preparation or lifting were: gluten free bread with sliced turkey or cheese, yogurt and gluten-free granola, a KIND bar (or other protein bar), rice cake with hummus or almond butter and now literally every single one of these foods is out due to histamine! Unless I am interpreting the info on-line incorrectly?

What do people eat who are trying to limit histamine but cannot cook or lift things? Thanks for any suggestions, links, or lists in advance!
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@ahmo Thank you, you are awesome and I am printing out your list right now. I was trying to find something like this but getting no where and your list ranks the foods from 0-3 and no surprise that Tartrazine dye (my worst reaction) was a three on that list. This gives me some idea of what to avoid for now food-wise (and will avoid these food dyes forever.)
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@ahmo and anyone else with histamine issues:

What are some low histamine snacks that are easy to prepare (or ideally require no preparation). Are there any protein bars that would qualify?

@WillowJ @Hanna @justy @dannybex @Sidereal @Kyla I tagged some other people that I think have histamine issues (and please forgive me if I am wrong!) Can you guys let me know what are some low histamine snacks that you eat that do not require preparation? Now that I cannot eat left-overs, nuts, yogurt, protein bars, sliced turkey, etc, what is left? everything I eat now is giving me GI issues (but luckily no reactions like the two food dye incidents.)
 
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CantThink

Senior Member
Messages
800
Location
England, UK
Quite a few fruits and fruit juices are okay. If you could get (or have) an easy to use juicer or similar bullet thingy you could prepare a fresh juice or perhaps a smoothie even. Melon sliced or cubed makes a refreshing snack.

Macadamia nuts are allowed. Dates, raisins and dried coconut too. Oats are okay so perhaps you can find a GF bar that contains oats, dates and other allowed fruity bits (and even macadamia nuts).

Fresh young cheese such as cream cheese/quark or mozzarella are allowed if you can eat dairy - the mozzarella would be nice with some basil or a handful of salad leaves.

I think that I've seen rice cakes are allowed - they come under rice biscuits on the list. There are perhaps other options for bread substitute on different lists - maybe they'd be considered a '1' on the 0-3 scoring. You could have rice cakes with butter, cream cheese and even chop some herbs into the cream cheese for added flavour. Or do a baked potato and top it with that.

I think dairy free milks are a 1 so you might be okay with them. If that is the case you could occasionally have GF cornflakes or rice krispies with dairy free milk and add some blueberries or blackberries.
 

Hanna

Senior Member
Messages
717
Location
Jerusalem, Israel
@Gingergrrl also on a restricted diet. Not everything on the list may cause you problems. But hard to suppress everything and introduce back just one thing at a time for nearly a week in order to try.
Like you, I am terrified to try a "new" food alone at home. Even when hubby is here... It has been several months that I want to reintroduce eggs and am frightened. Muscle testing may be of some help for this.

I am also interested in some more ideas about what to eat. That sucks !

The main problem for me is : when I have a tolerated food - like dates for example - I tend to "overdo" and eat them too often on a given period, and then I become "allergic" to it. So ROTATING food is crucial for most of us. My naturo tells me -if I eat one food every day in a row even in small quantities - you have from time to time to stop eating it 3-4 days in a row in order to be able to tolerate it on the long term.
 
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CantThink

Senior Member
Messages
800
Location
England, UK
tend to "overdo" and eat them too often on a given period, and then I become "allergic" to it. So ROTATING food is crucial for most of us.

This is so true. I have exactly the same problem. It is a catch 22 - as the list of what we are safe to eat gets less, we eat the fewer things on it more and thus the list gets further shortened. So frustrating!
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
This is so true. I have exactly the same problem. It is a catch 22 - as the list of what we are safe to eat gets less, we eat the fewer things on it more and thus the list gets further shortened. So frustrating!
FWIW, that appears to be the whole point of 4-day rotation diets -- to deal with the fact that as highly allergic people cut out foods, they become increasingly allergic to the remaining foods. Theoretically, by eating a given food family only once every 4 days, the antibodies have a chance to clear so you don't keep building up specific antibody levels to the point of having serious reactions. Have you tried a 4-day rotation diet, and if so, did you have any luck with it?
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
Yes, and yes. I am able to eat more than I was this time last year - there is improvement. I've spent the past 2 and a half years focusing on this and working at fixing my gut issues.
I may PM you at some point and pick your brain. :) My doctor just put daughter and I on a 4-day rotation diet, and we're finding it a major pain. If it helps, it will be worth it, of course. We have no gut issues; we're trying to address fatigue and cognitive problems, so it may be harder to see immediate effects.
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
Sorry I didn't see this previously, @Gingergrrl ; I'm ignoring my notifications just now as they got too numerous, so I didn't see your tag.

Snacks are really hard.

Now that I cannot eat left-overs, nuts, yogurt, protein bars, sliced turkey, etc, what is left? everything I eat now is giving me GI issues (but luckily no reactions like the two food dye incidents.)
Have you tried putting your leftovers directly into the freezer? (have someone package them in individual portions--semi-disposable freezer containers work great for this, or resealable plastic bags work for some things; I transfer to a non-plastic dish for heating in the microwave, or on a really good day, heat on the stovetop with brown rice noodles) (and are you able to heat them from frozen anyway?)

We've also found a brand of sliced turkey with no "unsafe" additives that we can use by buying from a deli counter and then freezing in individual portions (though we do live in an area where it's relatively easy to find "natural" and organic products... but I would think CA would be similar in this respect).

I can also have cream or Baby Bell cheese (bonus to Baby Bell--it's already individually packaged, no need for a knife), or a limited amount of Monterey Jack or sometimes Swiss, or farmer cheese (goat cheese especially as it's a bit easier to digest).

I can't eat whole nuts due to digestive issues or certain kinds of nuts to to allergy/intolerance, but I can still eat some nut butters if very finely ground. Some rank low on the histamine list, and the good oils help me sleep and reduce pain (especially if I limit butter). But it's very individual, and you should assess your own tolerance based on what is going on with you.

Not everything on the list may cause you problems.
This is exactly right. Everyone is a bit different; there are several different categories and not everyone has the same sensitivities to each category, and they say even food growing practices between regions (that one is from Switzerland) can cause things to differ. Between the three causes of variation, not every problem food on the list will give any particular person problems.

Food lists are just a general guide. Best as I can tell, the one posted here was made partly by scientifically studying the foods and part by polling members of the Swiss group.

Some related threads:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/what-the-heck-to-eat.35800/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...-think-of-a-salty-snack-that-i-can-eat.29455/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...ears-that-i-have-histamine-intolerance.35337/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/critterinas-histamine-intolerance-journal.34685/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/histamine-elimination-diet.29105/

I hope you figure something out. Food can be really hard, especially snacks or lighter meals. And not having something to eat can be very discouraging (to say the least!). Hugs.
 

Timaca

Senior Member
Messages
792
Can you eat rice? Rice cakes or rice crackers might be a snack you can tolerate. Apple slices and carrots are low in histamine. Can you eat beans? Beans other than soy beans and red beans may work for those with histamine intolerance. Open a can, put some on a rice tortilla and you have a simple meal!

This book may be of help to you. I haven't tried the recipes because I can't eat eggs or grains right now.

The resources page of my blog may be of some help to you too.
All the best,
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Wow, am just catching up on this thread now and all the additional responses. Thank you so much to everyone and when I get a chance to read through it, I might be posting some follow-up questions. You guys are the best! :star::star::star:
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@Timaca thank you and I will take a look at this later! For me so far the two huge triggers were food dyes/artificial colors and foods seem to be okay but I am being very careful and avoiding high histamine foods.
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
rice cakes should be ok - I also eat Ryvita - not gluten free but not high histamine (its the yeast in bread) I also am fine with nuts - I don't think almonds are out or peanuts - sunflower seed spread is a little like a nut butter. I also eat cream cheese. Turkey slices are a deli meat so really shouldn't be OK - anything that is pre cooked and sits around like deli meats will ne higher in Histamine.

I have to say I fond this hard to deal with - my diet has become very boring. I eat baked potatoes with stir fried veggies a lot. have also started eating dairy again as I cant eat soya any more.

I have been eating humous and find its ok. I also eat some things that are not low H on occasion, but I always end up itching if I do.

Sorry haven't read the whole thread.